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Insanity

I saw an infomercial for the work out Insanity... Yes, I love infomercials!!

Anyone heard anything about this? I read the reviews online and most are good but some say it will hurt your back pretty bad. I have scoliosis pretty bad in my back and I dont want to do anything that will mae it worse.

Re: Insanity

I haven't tried it either. Before committing to it, why don't you try one of the workouts from bodyrock.tv? They're similar in concept and intensity but shorter, and for a lot of them you need basic to no equipment (as long as you can deal with the sexual innuendoes). I would suggest getting used to those before trying Insanity - I'm in quite shape and I think I would be dead about halfway through!

I've done the first month of Insanity (twice now), and it is the most aptly named program out there. It's a lot of high intensity, plyometric moves. They hurt. it's the type of program that you have to expect that you won't make it through the entire workout without stopping.

I really liked it, but ended up getting sick both times, and it's not something that you can pick up where you left off when you feel better.

I've looked at a few of the Bodyrock tv clips, but haven't done the workouts, so I can't comment on how they compare, other than to say that I prefered the tone of the Insanity ones, kwim?

I've done the first month of Insanity (twice now), and it is the most aptly named program out there. It's a lot of high intensity, plyometric moves. They hurt. it's the type of program that you have to expect that you won't make it through the entire workout without stopping. I really liked it, but ended up getting sick both times, and it's not something that you can pick up where you left off when you feel better. I've looked at a few of the Bodyrock tv clips, but haven't done the workouts, so I can't comment on how they compare, other than to say that I prefered the tone of the Insanity ones, kwim?Posted by jennylee813

I've done the Bodyrock workouts (the ones that only require bodyweight and a ball becuase that's all I have at home) and I like the fact that they're short and quick. They don't take more than 15-20 minutes to do. To me an hour of high-intensity intervals seems counterintuitive and counterproductive. There's a reason sprinters sprint short distances, not long ones. :-) If you (general "you" out there) prefer short and intense, bodyrock is a good place to start.

I haven't tried it either. Before committing to it, why don't you try one of the workouts from bodyrock.tv? They're similar in concept and intensity but shorter, and for a lot of them you need basic to no equipment (as long as you can deal with the sexual innuendoes). I would suggest getting used to those before trying Insanity - I'm in quite shape and I think I would be dead about halfway through!Posted by unchatenfrance

In Response to Re: Insanity : I absolutely love bodyrock tv. It is such a great workout.Posted by lbarr088

Haha, I am totally going to sound like bodyrock is paying me, but I haven't done any of their workouts or been on their website for ages and saw that Zuzana is gone. A quick google search indicated that she is on her own now, and her own workout series is even more minimalist on the equipment. I'll definitely be trying some of them!

I will look up bodyrock tonight and check that out. I want to get into a routine as I have been just doing a few exercises I like everyday but nothing formal. I want something I can do every other day and do what I want inbetween those "structured" days.

I'm actually doing insanity right now and I love it. It is definitely crazy-intense but I think it's totally do-able. Even with taking a handful of breaks because I'm not in tip-top shape at present, I dropped 7 pounds during the first week. If you're motivated and don't mind a ton of jumping, I definitely recommend it.

In Response to Re: Insanity : I've done the Bodyrock workouts (the ones that only require bodyweight and a ball becuase that's all I have at home) and I like the fact that they're short and quick. They don't take more than 15-20 minutes to do. To me an hour of high-intensity intervals seems counterintuitive and counterproductive. There's a reason sprinters sprint short distances, not long ones. :-) If you (general "you" out there) prefer short and intense, bodyrock is a good place to start.Posted by unchatenfrance

Insanity isn't all high intensity. The warm up goes through the same routine three times and takes about 5 minutes. Then there's another 5-7 minutes of stretching. The high impact, 'workout' is actually between 15-20 minutes at most, and it too starts slow and builds. Then there's the cooldown stretch.

It's still a killer.

I like the overall vibe I get from Insanity. Again, I haven't done bodyrock, but I did look at a few of the videos and didn't feel the same energy. Maybe I was looking at the wrong ones???

In Response to Re: Insanity : Insanity isn't all high intensity. The warm up goes through the same routine three times and takes about 5 minutes. Then there's another 5-7 minutes of stretching. The high impact, 'workout' is actually between 15-20 minutes at most, and it too starts slow and builds. Then there's the cooldown stretch. It's still a killer. I like the overall vibe I get from Insanity. Again, I haven't done bodyrock, but I did look at a few of the videos and didn't feel the same energy. Maybe I was looking at the wrong ones???Posted by jennylee813

Do you basically do the insanity workout along with the video in real time, like you would to an old-school aerobics tape? You can't do this with the bodyrock videos. They basically explain to you what the workout is but then you do it on your own time. That's probably the difference in vibe. That and I'm guessing insanity doesn't have gratuitous shots of the instructor's breasts and butt :-)

I did start the Insanity program and I have knee issues and some past back issues. I pushed through two and a half weeks thinking I would get used to it. The rest of my body did but my knees and back never did. I was going to the chiro twice a month (I usually go once). It was an excellent workout and showed awesome results, but I couldn't put myself through it. My Chiro never came out and told me to quit, but he always hinted towards it. It was hard talking myself into giving it up because I saw such awesome results. Definitely talk to your doctor. If you go to the chiro run it past them, too. They know what your back should be able to handle.

On a side note, if you decide it isn't something you should risk but you would still like an at home workout I recommend giving Jillian Michaels a try. Her 30 Day Shred uses the interval training like Insanity does but it is half the length and not as hard on your knees and back. Of course, it doesn't show results quite as quickly but it is still really good.